This invention is directed to a toy having a base with a surface thereon with a portion of the surface movable with respect to the remainder of the surface such that a self-propelled object moving across the surface, when located on the movable portion of the surface, can be moved off of the surface by forceful movement of the movable portion of the surface.
A group of toys are known which utilize a self-propelled object which is capable of moving in a random manner over a surface. Currently, two of these toys are on the market under the names Goof Around Golf.TM. and Strolling Bowling.TM.. A further of these toys is described in application Ser. No. 433,030 filed Oct. 6, 1982, entitled, TOY HAVING PLAYING SURFACE WITH ROTATING MEMBER THEREIN.
All of the above toys utilize an object which is shaped as a ball with a pedestal located below the object in the shape of feet. The feet are sized and shaped to be consistent with the theme of the game. The pedestal-like feet are moved with respect to the body of the object by a wind up motor located within the body of the object. The object jumps, or hops, in a motion across a surface. This motion is somewhat erratic and unpredictable. The movement of the object is very entertaining due to the erratic motion of the object.
In the Goof Around Golf.TM. toy, the ball object is shaped as a golf ball and is set on a course such that, hopefully, it will land into a receptacle corresponding to a hole in a golf course. In the Strolling Bowling.TM. toy, the ball has the motif of a bowling ball and is directed toward a set of hinged pins. The pins are aligned in the normal manner in which bowling pins are aligned, and are capable of being knocked over in the manner of bowling pins, such that strikes, spares, splits, etc. are possible. In the above referred to application, entitled, TOY HAVING PLAYING SURFACE WITH ROTATING MEMBER THEREIN, the object is directed to a rotatable platform which serves as home plate for a baseball diamond. The object is redirected by rotation of the platform.
Because of the unpredictable nature in utilizing the above identified toys, the play value is quite high. As such, the toys are interesting and stimulating to both children and adults.
A group of toys are known, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,219,198; 4,174,835 and 4,183,533 in which objects within the toy are directed to a target by imparting momentum to them, such that they are propelled toward the target or providing sufficient momentum to them such that they can roll up an inclined plane or the like. The objects utilized in the games described in these patents, however are not self-propelled objects, and as such, are not capable of exhibiting the random motion of the objects utilized in Goof Around Golf.TM. and Strolling Bowling.TM. and other described toys. Successful capture of the object of the toys described in these patents by the targets of the toys described in these patents is based more on the initial placement of the object and does not take into account the additional excitement created by utilizing a self-propelled, random moving object.